


Papilionem Modum

by heidrogenous



Category: The Last Remnant
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aro-Ace Emma Honeywell, Autistic Character(s), Autistic David Nassau, Autistic Emma Honeywell, Autistic Original Character(s), Autistic Rush Sykes, Bisexual David Nassau, Bisexual Irina Sykes, Butterfly Effect, Codependency, Demisexual Rush Sykes, Friends to Lovers, I will take a hammer & FIX the canon, Lesbian Emmy Honeywell, Non-Binary Rush Sykes, Nonverbal Communication, Other, Trans David Nassau, Trans Emmy Honeywell, partially nonverbal character, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-09-28 13:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20427122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heidrogenous/pseuds/heidrogenous
Summary: A single stroke of a butterfly's wings can cause a tornado weeks later.  One event changes, and the whole story is different.Rush Sykes awakens their remnant powers as a child.Irina realizes that her sibling needs her as much as she needs them.It's Rush and Irina against the world- until it isn't.





	1. Prologue - The Beginning

Irina had gotten kidnapped, and they couldn't do anything to rescue her. "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" Rush yelled as they limped to their Aunts' house with their eyes glowing an eerie icy blue. The cabin where Rush and Irina grew up soon came into view. It was a small home made of logs, with lush flowers around every corner and a pumpkin patch a little ways away. An idyllic scene to be sure.

Rush opened the door and yelled out with desperation, "Sera! Max! Iri-Irina was kidnapped!" Max was a portly person with close shaven hair. She always had the look of someone who had seen the horrors of the world, and beaten them soundly. But she burst out of the kitchen with a look in her eye that Rush had rarely seen. Fear

"Whaddya mean Irina's been kidnapped!? How?!" they asked quickly. "A-a flying remnant came, with a couple strange people. They knocked Irina unconscious and held me down. I-I couldn't do anything!" It became apparent that Rush was starting to cry now (as much as they were trying to hide it). Max noticed the state Rush was in and gently put her ladle down on the table as she went over to them. "Hey, heeey. Rush, look at me. We'll get 'er back. It wasn't yer fault 'n you know it. Deep breaths honey. In, out, in, out. There we go." She cooed gently at them.

Rush took a few shaky breaths and wiped their eyes. "We need to get her back." Rush stated with determination. "I know hun, and we will."

_____

"WHADD'YA MEAN I CAN'T GO WITH 'EM!?" Max's voice rang out from the flower shop where she and her wife worked. "Max, you and I both know that you're on this island for a reason. Celapeleis will be after you as soon as you're seen. You're very recognizable honey." Sera was a sickly woman with dark skin and long dreadlocks, who also had much more common sense than her wife (at the moment).

"I-I know! But Rush needs help! They can't do this on 'eir own!" To say Max was upset was an understatement. "An' there's no way we can get in contact with the academy anytime soon!" Sera only smiled, "Don't worry dear, Marina and I have a friend on the mainland. She'll be able to help. I promise."

_____

"Dear Emma,  
I wish this letter was sent under better circumstances, but sadly, we can't have everything. A fortnight ago, Rush came bursting into the house without Irina (which was strange in of itself). They said that Irina had been kidnapped by a couple strange persons and an odd flying remnant. I hate having to ask this of you, but you are the only person I know who would be able to help. Max and I will be sending Rush to the small port of Acxton in a weeks time if this letter receives you well. Would you be willing to help Rush find Irina? You and I both know there is something larger than meets the eye here.

With love,  
Sera Sleidan"

Emma Honeywell (the 1st) read the letter in her hand over a third time. Then a fourth. She had a hard time believing what she read, but she knew it must be true. Sera only signed her last name when she was purposefully confirming her identity. She hated to do this, but she knew she had to ask (her surrogate son) Lord David a favor. Luckily, she caught him in the hallways before he reached the dining room. "Lord David! Please, wait a moment." David turned around to face her and, noticing the urgency in her voice, asked, "Emma? What's wrong?"

"It... pains me to say this my lord, but I must ask a favor." Emma said with her head bowed. This was surprising to David, to say the least. "O-of course Emma. What is it?" "A friend of mine's daughter has been kidnapped in a... very unusual way. Her guardian has asked me to aid her sibling in finding her. I'm afraid I will not be able to do this alone." Emma was clearly worried, and that alone was enough to make up David's mind.

"Then, will you tell me their names?" He asked. "Irina and Rush Sykes, milord."

_____

A single stroke of a butterflies wings can cause a tornado weeks later. One event changes, and the whole story is different.


	2. I - The Bonds We Form

Rush was, admittedly, very nervous about leaving Eulam. Whenever they imagined leaving in the past, Irina was right there next to them. The boat ride to Acxton was nerve wracking, because as much as Rush tried to convince themself otherwise, they'd had a large fear of boats like this one since they were a child.

The captain seemed nice at least, but Rush still did their best to avoid the crew like the plague. Not that that was hard, Eulam had a reputation that made outsiders extremely cautious.

Rush idly wished they had enough backpack space to bring their wood carving supplies. But a shout from the main deck brought them out of their musings. "Land Ho!" someone yelled.

Rush peered out of the porthole in the room they were given and, sure enough, Rush could see the docks of Axcton getting closer and closer. So they slung on their backpack and cautiously walked out onto the main deck.

Sera had tried to give them a description of the woman they were supposed to meet, but Rush had a terrible time recognizing faces. They could only hope that this would go well.

"Excuse me." a voice said from behind them, and Rush instinctively stiffened. When Rush turned around, they saw a person with graying hair and multiple facial scars. 'Is that her?' Rush relaxed a bit. "Are you-" "Are you Emma Honeywell?" 'Fuck.' Rush thought as their cheeks burned. 'Way to make a first impression, doofus.'

The person didn't seem upset by their interruption at least. "I am. I take it you are Rush Sykes?" Rush let out a sigh of relief at this. "Yeah, I'm Rush."

_____

Travelling with Emma was interesting, to say the least. At first, she seemed... very stoic to Rush. But they learned from talking to her that she was like them in acting distant so as to not appear neuroatypical to people she didn't know she could trust. Rush would like to say that they both got along swimmingly after that, but her mannerisms still took some adjustments.

There weren't many towns between Axcton and Athlum, so they had to camp for a couple nights. It wasn't a problem for Rush per say, but their back was more than ready for a bed by the time they finally reached Athlum. And reach Athlum they did.

_____

"Holy shit." Rush whispered in awe. The gates of Athlum towered over Rush and Emma as they walked through. There they saw buildings (much bigger than the ones in Eulam) made of stone, vendors lining the streets, and in the distance they could see a ginormous remnant sword, dwarfing even the castle.

"If I remember right, Eulam is... much smaller than Athlum. I will let you do some sight-seeing if you wish, but please meet me at the castle gates before nightfall." Emma said with a tilt of her head, "Oh, and I suggest buying a weapon. I have a feeling you're going to need one. Don't worry about learning how to use it, I'll most likely be able to teach you." She dropped a few gold coins into one of Rush's hands before walking off.

Rush's first instinct was to follow her, but they knew that wasn't really what they wanted to do. Emma was right in Rush wanting to explore a bit. Luckily the street they were on wasn't very bustling at the moment, 'The sun is just coming up.' Rush mused.

So they sat down on one of the stone benches did the calming exercise Max had taught both Sykes siblings when they were young. Rush closed their eyes and let their vision fade. Now they only had to endure touch and sound. Rush took many deep breaths, 'In, out, in, out.'

When they opened their eyes they felt much more adjusted. "Hey kid," a gruff voice called out from the stall beside him. "You learn that trick from ol' Billy too?" Rush slowly got up to see who was talking to them. It was a yama, an older one too judging by how many piercings were on their top fin.

"No?" Rush was quite confused. "O-oh, ah. My mistake. Hey, wanna buy a sword or some shit? I got lots!" The yama yelled as they gestured to the array of weapons behind them.

Well. Emma did say Rush should get a weapon. "Uhhhh, whatchya got?" Rush asked, nervously playing with the strings on their top. "Swords, axes, spears, you name it? I got it!" They boasted with a large, toothy grin.

Sure enough, there were many types of weapons in the stall. "Um, what do you have that would be good for someone with, uh," Rush trailed off, trying to think of the correct word. "Bad... coordination?" they shrugged sheepishly.

The yama got a thoughtful look on their face as they tapped their chin. "Let's see. You're about average height for a mitra, and with bad coordination, probably a two handed weapon..." they turned around and began shuffling through their stock while humming an off-key tune.

They turned their head around after a bit and yelled, "Hey kid! How's your strength?!" although a bit startled by the sudden shouting, Rush replied, "Uh, pretty good? I guess?" The yama picked up a large halberd from the stand and said, "Here, give this a few swings and tell me what ya think."

Rush took the weapon and noticed that the handle didn't feel nearly as rough as they thought it would. The weight was nice, and with something like this they wouldn't have that hard of a time keeping track of what both their arms were doing (and who they were hurting). Rush gave it a couple experimental swings.

"I'll take it. Thanks for your help!" Rush grinned at the yama. "Great! That'll be five sovereigns please!" Rush handed over the coins and started walking away with their new purchase. "Hey kid! The names Vergil by the way! Come back anytime!" Vergil was waving wildly at them when they turned around, so Rush gave a small wave back and started down the street again.

_____

Rush had been having a fantastic afternoon, there was so much to see! Their last stop before the castle was the local pub. They didn't actually want any alchohol, they just knew that pubs normally have interesting people and information.

As Rush opened the door to the tavern, they were surprised to see it fairly empty. It was just two bartenders and a hooded figure chatting together. Rush didn't really want to interrupt, but one of the bartenders beckoned them on with a wave of their hand. "Haven't seen you around these parts before. Come, come! Have a seat!" 

"What brings you to these parts kid?" The other bartender asked curiously. "I'm visiting from a small island town and have just been getting the lay of the land. What's been happening around here?" Rush asked, trying to sound confident. 

"Wellll, the guilds gotten a few new members in the past couple weeks, that doesn't happen very often! There's been a few folx trying to get someone for a job and, uh," the first bartender was cut off by the hooded figure speaking up, "I hear someone has been attempting to court Torgal."

"Now that's a rumor and you know it, hun." The first bartender chided as the second one looked on curiously. "Anyway, I'm Louis and this is my nephew Burt. We run this place together." The main bartender, Louis, said with a wink.

"Nice to meet you?" Rush was a bit unsure how to respond. "Oh, uh, I'm Rush." The hooded figure appraised them curiously and said, "Nice to meet you Rush. You can call me Dave, for now."


	3. II - Training Body & Mind

It was near nightfall by the time Rush told their new friends they had to go. "I've gotta meet up with someone. It was nice spending time with you guys tonight." Rush said sheepishly.

"I must be off as well. Thank you for the drinks, Louis, Burt." Dave said as he dropped a couple silver coins onto the table for them. He walked out of the bar, leaving Rush to follow.

When they got outside, Dave was smoking a pipe as he waited for them by the door. "Athlum is a nice place, wouldn't you agree Rush?" For the first time, he looked up at Rush. His eyes were a beautiful hazel, they noted. "Uhhh, yeah." They responded slowly.

"I have a feeling we might be going the same way. Follow me to the castle, if you like." Dave said as he started to walk away. 'That's... suspicious as all hell.' Rush thought, but cautiously followed him anyway.

They walked in an awkward silence. As they neared the top of the castle steps, Dave took his hood off and straightened out his golden hair. There were two guards at the gate, one larger with more muscle, one scrawny and... trying not to fall asleep.

Dave let out a chuckle as he noticed this. "Again, Samson? I had thought you were excited about getting this shift." The smaller guard, Samson, bolted awake. "A-apologies milord! It won't happen again!" They stuttered out.

The bigger guard let out a large belly laugh. "We all know that the only reason anyone wants this shift is so that we get to chat with Lord David when he gets back from his outings!" This declaration brought a squawking sound from Samson, and a chuckle out of Dave. "Apologies, then. I'm afraid my friend and I have business to attend to in the castle. I'll come visit with you two another time."

With this the guards opened the gates and let the two of them through. When they were far enough away, Rush spoke up, "So, you're the Marquis of Athlum huh?" "Indeed. I'll admit, I was initially... apprehensive, in meeting you. But I liked chatting with you, you're an interesting person Rush." David said with a small grin on his face as he fiddled with a small rock that was in his pocket.

As they reached the top of the stairs, they noticed Emma waiting for them with a raised eyebrow. "Lord David. I see you have already met the young Rush Sykes."  
"Yes. It seems Mx. Sykes knows that taverns tend to hold interesting information."  
Dave responded.

A pause, then a sigh. "You aren't still trying to spread that rumour about Torgal are you?" Emma asked with her head in her hand. "Who said it was a rumour?" David replied as he walked past her into the castle.

Emma followed and beckoned for Rush to do the same. As they walked the gilded halls, Rush noticed various paintings along the walls. A few were of landscapes, but a couple stood out with various people in them.

They were broken out of their musings by a cough. They had apparently reached the throne room, and waiting for them was a sovani, a qsiti, and a yama. The sovani coughed again, attracting the attention of the room.

"You must be Rush Sykes. I am Torgal, one of the four generals of Athlum. I keep balance among the people and lend my abilities to whatever Athlum requires." They declared. Taking Torgal's cue, the other two introduced themselves, "You may call me Pagus, another general of Athlum. I am an expert on the mystic arts and oversee the medical needs of Athlumians." The qsiti spoke with a bow.

"An' I'm Blocter, the third general a' Athlum! I monitor the needs of the people an' keep an ear out for any and all information!" The yama boasted. 'A judge, a doctor, and a spymaster then?' Rush thought. 'Interesting.'

"I'm Rush Sykes, as... you probably already know." They finished sheepishly, realizing that what they said was fairly obvious. Torgal appraised them carefully before speaking, "Lord David has requested our help in finding your sister, therefore we will do what we can to make sure Ms. Irina is returned safely. However, we have no leads at the moment."

Rush figured that would probably be the situation. "In any case, you will likely need some training with that new weapon of yours before you will be of much help. I will show you the basic stances in the morning." Emma declared before leading Rush to their room.

She bid Rush goodnight and left them to rest. The next morning was certainly going to be interesting.

_____

"Hold your hands like this, and keep them like that." Emma demonstrated with her hands on a stave. "Good. Now, swing it like this. You've got to put your back into it." She instructed as she swung it left, then right. Rush copied her movements fairly easily, then she said, "Alright, you know how to do a basic attack and block now. Try to do 40 of those swings a day. If you can do that for five days, I'll show you another move."

"Sounds good to me." Rush replied chipperly. "Emma dear! Mind if I teach them a few of the mystic arts? Could prove useful!" Pagus called out to them from a small balcony overlooking the training courtyard.

"Of course, Pagus. I was just finishing up with our lesson anyway." Emma responded as she started to walk away. With this, Pagus jumped from the balcony and slowly fell to the ground. "Alright then, Rush. Emma may have started you out with how to attack, but I will be teaching you how to survive when attacks fail. For now, anyway."

"First things first." Pagus said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small orb. "This is called an alizarin orb, a ball of concentrated mystic power. It helps beginners focus their powers easier." Rush blinked a couple times, processing what they just heard, then took it. 

"Now, the first spell I will be teaching you is called 'All Terrain'. It increases your speed and lessens the effect of gravity on up to five people. It enables you to, as the name suggests, move over all kinds of terrain much more efficiently." Pagus said.

"I have chosen this as your first spell because you will not always be able to win the battles you enter. If this is the case, there is no shame in running away. Living to fight another day is always the better option, in my opinion." He explained seriously.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes and focus on the wind on your skin. Imagine it lifting you forward; like a feather. Feel the power building underneath you skin and release it." As Pagus gave these instructions, Rush could indeed feel power building.

And then it was gone. When Rush opened their eyes, they felt nearly weightless, and saw Pagus almost struggling to remain on his feet. Time around them seemed to stand still as the birds ceased chirping, the leaves stopped rustling and even the butterflies froze midair.

"M-my word! I've never in all my years seen this spell cause this great of an effect!" He stammered in surprise. As Pagus regained his composure, he coughed a bit and said, "Well, I suppose you will not need much further training in that spell." 

"Master Pagus, Mx. Rush! Ser Bloctor has acquired some leads in the search for Ms. Irina, your presence is requested in the throne room." an Athlumian recruit called from a courtyard entrance.

Rush's eyes widened and they took off running.

_____

"Rush, Pagus, there you are. We may have found some information on Ms. Irina's whereabouts. Blocter, if you would?" David was sitting in his throne as he said this, Emma and Blocter on one side, Torgal on the other.

"Yes, young master. My network has heard rumours of a young girl seen near the Gaslin Caves, as well as suspicious people in the Robelia Ruins. It's possible that Ms. Irina could be at one of those locations." Blocter reported.

"Well, then my child. It seems you'll get to practice your new skills much sooner than expected. Which place would you prefer to investigate first?" Pagus questioned. Rush thought a moment, then said, "The Gaslin Caves." "Then its decided. Blocter, Emma. You will accompany Rush and aid them in this endeavor." David declared.

"Yes, my lord!"


	4. III - Rush to the Rescue

The Gaslin Caves were a path of twisting tunnels, jagged rocks, and odd glowing flowers. Giant bugs littered the path. Ahead of the corpses were Bloctor, Emma and Rush. 

They walked down the tunnels, fighting off monsters when needed, until they reached a cliff. On the cliff were three kids of various ages; none of them Irina. "What are all these kids doin' in a place like this?" Rush questioned.

"Don't tell me..." Bloctor whispered, right before three armoured mercenaries appeared. The leader was a tall yama with gray scales, one of the lackey's was a lanky mitra with light skin, and the last one was a stout qsiti who's skin had a dull green hue. "Hey! Whaddya think your doin!?" the yama merc yelled. 

Bloctor turned towards them and took a deep breath. "Yous guys are the slavers that've been plaguing the north coast, aren't you!?" he shouted in anger. 

"Slavers?!" Rush exclaimed in horror. 

"Well, it seems we have some trash to deal with. Blocter, Rush! Get ready!" Emma yelled, drawing her swords. Rush and Blocter followed, and the battle commenced. 

"We can't afford any witnesses! Get 'em, boys!" the leader shouted as they commanded their lackeys to attack. The qsiti went for Rush, who was obviously the weakest of the group, but they managed to block the attack in time.

Blocter attacked the qsiti in retaliation, leaving a nasty looking gash in their shoulder. Then Emma attacked. It looked as though she was dancing. Slice, stab, parry. Stab, dodge, parry. Somehow, she wasn't getting hit at all.

Noticing that the leader was distracted, Rush attacked. That yama likely had quite a concussion from that hit. "Yo-you little-" The leader slurred as they turned around, getting ready to swing at Rush.

"I don't think so, jackwad!" Blocter yelled as they beheaded the leader, nearly making Rush throw up. Once they got their bearings a bit, they looked over and saw the other two thugs dead on the ground.

"Are you three alright?" Rush heard Emma gently ask the kids they found. "Are any of you hurt?"

"Thank you so much Lady Emma! I don't want to even think about what would've happened to us if you hadn't shown up!" the oldest child exclaimed tearfully.

"So I take it none of 'em are your sister?" Blocter said quietly, trying not to disturb the scene in front of them. "No, but... maybe that's a good thing." Rush replied sadly.

_____

The trip back to Athlum was quiet. They made good time, but both Emma and Blocter could tell Rush was upset. As they walked through the gates back into the palace, Emma spoke up, "Rush, lets take a day off before we head to the ruins okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." Rush replied semi-numbly as they split off from the others. As they walked down the street, they noticed a small food stand serving crepes. Their stomach rumbled right on queue, so Rush decided to get something to eat.

"I would recommend the strawberry one, if you happen to have a sweet tooth." someone said from beside them. They turned their head and saw David in the same non-descript hooded outfit from their first meeting.

Rush raised an eyebrow and said playfully, "I don't know, I heard that crab is pretty good on crepes, I might order that one." This made Dave scrunch up his face. "I'm kidding by the way, I can't eat seafood." Rush said with a small laugh.

"Was my disgust that apparent?" David asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Maybe a little." Rush replied, and for a moment, David was struck with how bright their smile seemed compared to everything else. "What are you doing all the way out here anyway?" Rush asked.

"I got hungry after my last meeting and decided to get a bite to eat. Despite having good intentions, Torgal can be quite the slave driver." David said with a small shrug. "What kind do you want, Rush? I'll buy."

"Wha-really? Um, I guess I'll try the strawberry one you suggested, if you're really serious." Rush replied, confused.

"Good choice." David said, and walked up to the booth. "Two strawberry whip crepes please." He ordered and waited for them patiently. 

"Here you go ser. Have a good day!" The person manning the stand said as they handed David the two crepes. With this he plopped a few silver coins on the counter before walking back over to Rush.

"Here you go. Enjoy." He said as he handed one over to them before taking a bite of his own.

"Thanks." Rush said before trying the crepe. "Oh, hey! This is really good!" They exclaimed before diving in for another bite.

David just looked amused. They ate in a comfortable silence until Rush finished their food and asked, "What're you doin after this anyway? Got some more 'important business' to attend?"

This got a surprised snort out of David as he finished off his crepe. "First of all, I would hardly call meeting a shop keeper about sanitation habits 'important'." He said with air quotes.

"Second of all, not really. I was just going to head to the tavern to see if there was any jobs that anyone needs help with. Why, want some company?" He asked, not at all opposed.

"I-yeah, sure. I could use some company. Mind if I tag along?" Rush asked, a bit surprised by Dave's openness.

"Not at all. Just keep the whole 'Marquis of Athlum' thing on the down low, please." He said, honestly quite pleased by the turn of events.

This comment made Rush snort. "Dude, my parents are the top researchers at the academy. I'm used to not telling the complete truth about who people are."

David blinked a few times, slowly comprehending what they just said. "Oh. Yes, that does make sense. Well, let's be off then."

"Alright!" Rush whooped. "And Dave? Thanks."

"A-ah. Glad to help." David stammered, a blush creeping onto his face as they both started walking to the pub.

_____

As David opened the door to the tavern, they heard soft, upbeat music playing. "Ah, I had forgotten that they have a small band playing tonight." He said after a moment, before walking up to the bar where Louis stood cleaning a glass.

Louis perks up as he notices them entering. "Ah! Mr. Dave, you're here early. What can I get for you?" He asks.

"No drinks at the moment. I was actually wondering if there were any jobs that people need help with?" David asks as he sits down at the counter.

"Oh! There is actually! I recomend speaking to that fellow over there with the tawny scales." Louis said as he pointed to a large yama.

"Thank you, Louis. Come on Rush." David said as he started walking over to the yama in question. Rush was more than fine with just following his lead.

"Hello, we heard you have a job that you'd like help with." David said, a silent question being asked.

They blinked a couple times before a toothy grin spread across there face and they said, "You could say that. I'm guessing you two are offering?" David gave a nod, prompting the person to continue.

"First off, the name's Baulsun, I'm a he. Now then, I got a myself job to rescue an aristocrat's kid. They've been gone about a day now, and I think I managed to track 'em to the gaslin caves." he said.

"Problem is, they weren't alone. An' with the amount of footprints left behind, I can tell there's too many foes for me to take care of myself. So I'd like to hire some folx to help me with this. The reward is thirty sovereigns, split evenly. Whaddya' say?" He asked, fidgeting with something in his pocket.

"Sounds good to me." David said with a small shrug. "What do you say Rush? Wanna tag along?"

"Yeah, I'm game. Let's do this." Rush replied easily.

_____

The trip to the caves went by fast, and before they knew it they had reached the entrance. "We'll probably wanna sneak up on them, don't want 'em to use the kid as a bargaining chip." Baulsun said with a grimace.

So they continued on until they came to the fork in the paths that Rush had seen earlier that day. Only this time, there was a child's crying coming from the left path.

Dave peered around the corner, scoping the situation out. "The child appears unharmed, but there are five qsiti with weapons that look to be getting frustrated with them." he said quietly.

Baulsun gave a quick nod. "Alright, we attack on three. One. Two. THREE!" He shouted as he brought his weapon down on the closest qsiti, cleaving them in two.

"What the fuck!? Get them!" one of the hoodlums yelled, right before Rush brought their halberd down onto their head. A sickening crack rang out throughout the room. But they had no time to hesitate, the last three thugs were charging toward them.

Baulsun quickly stabbed his trident into one, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed himself. The last two went after David. He blocked one of their attacks and slashed the other one across the throat. Rush made it over in time to block a hit that would've gotten David in the back.

Then Baulsun's trident stabbed through the sole surviving qsiti, leaving them dead on the ground. With the kidnappers dealt with, Rush went over to comfort the kid. "Hey, are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" They asked in a low, soothing voice.

"N-no, they didn't. Thank you so much for rescuing me Ser! I was so scared!" The child bawled and attacked Rush with a hug.

"It's okay now, we'll get you home. I'm Rush by the way, what's your name?" Rush asked, rubbing small circles on the kid's back.

"Gertrude. My name's Gertrude." The young yama sniffled.

"Alright Gertrude, it's nice to meet you. Let's get you home, okay?" Rush said with a small smile.


	5. IV - Children of Dawn & Dusk

Rush, David and Baulsun went back to the bar after returning Gertrude to their family and getting the reward. The music had mostly died down by now, only the sound of a soft violin was audible.

"Thanks for the help fellas, I reckon I would've been in quite a bind if I had to do that by myself. If you're ever looking for some help of your own, stop by the guild." Baulsun said with a grin.

"Sure thing, Baulsun!" Rush said as they walked out of the bar. "What's a guild, Dave?" They whispered to David, prompting a small laugh.

"It's an establishment that mercenaries join. People can sign contracts with the warriors there for them to help with certain battles until the contract expires." Dave replied.

"Oh. That makes sense." Rush said. The walk back to the palace was a quiet one, with Rush occasionally asking David questions about things they saw Athlum. The sun was setting, but David and Rush were in no hurry. They were simply enjoying each other's presence.

_____

The next morning, Rush set off to the Robelia Ruins with Emma and Pagus; the latter of which took the time to teach them some more of the mystic arts.

"Since you did so well on the All Terrain spell, I'd say you have an affinity for wind based spells. Because of that, I will be teaching you the spell 'Wind Shear'." Pagus explained.

"Wind Shear is a strong gust of razor sharp wind. In order to cast it, you focus on the energy that dwells within you; the kind that appears when you take a gulp of air after surfacing a lake." He guided Rush with a soft voice.

Rush closed their eyes and searched for the power Pagus was describing. They found it flowing beneath their collarbone, and tried semi-futally to grasp it. A few soft breezes circled Rush, but it definitely wasn't to the effect that Pagus described.

Pagus chuckled as they saw this. "Patience, dear child! Let me finish explaining!" Once Rush opened their eyes again, Pagus continued. "You need to imagine, say, using a string tied to the end of a whisp of the power to guide it down your arms and into your hands."

"Then picture a force behind the whisp suddenly pushing it out of you palms. I reccomend you do this in a direction without any people, however." He said.

Rush did as they were told; pointing their palms towards the empty clearing beside them. The power flowed easier this time, and sent a feeling of almost relief through Rush's arms.

The result was incredible. The bushes that once stood in the field were gone, the remnants pushed violently past many trees that were now barely standing.

_____

Rush looked around in awe of the old ruins as they asked, "So, what happened to this place?" Because even in ruins, Robelia Castle remained magnificent. However, it was obvious that something terrible happened here. 

Many pillars were blown to pieces, many parts of the roof had caved in, and there were large fragments of what must have been beautiful stained glass windows littering the floor.

"Vengence is what happened. After Lord David's mother was killed, the previous Marquis of Athlum tracked her killers here. The Wanein family was reclusive, but previously thought to have been harmless." Pagus said with his eyes to the floor.

"Lord Rolan Nassau, in a fit of anger, used the Gae Bolg on the entire building that housed the killers of his wife. That was the last time anyone saw him alive." He explained sadly.

The trip through the ruins took a somber tone after that. And as they passed a particularly large piece of rubble, they made their way a large door. But there was a deep voice shouting behind it.

They slowly opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, and listened. "Man does not need help to thrive, and those that say otherwise are deeply mistaken! The remnants are the bane of man's existence, dragging us into a life of drudgery and sin!" The person they heard behind the door preached.

"Tonight, we will sneak into Athlum and lay siege to it. Showing everyone that we are right. But, we have visitors." With this, they turned towards the door that Rush, Emma and Pagus were trying to hide behind.

"Lackey's of that remnant loving Marquis no doubt! They must not leave this place alive!" They shouted, commanding the people in front of them to attack.

"Prepare yourselves!" Emma shouted as she drew her swords and charged. Pagus and Rush drew their weapons and each started casting their own spells. Pagus was quicker, releasing a bolt of lightning that hit a heavily armoured foe and then rebounded off to hit nearby enemies; skillfully avoiding Emma.

While the enemies were distracted by them, Rush snuck around as close as they could to the leader. With the element of surprise on their side, Rush cast wind shear; tearing the leader to shreds.

Unfortunately, Rush wasn't the only one sneaking around. A thin qsiti leaped to stab Rush from behind; who wasn't quite fast enough to get out of the way. Rush felt intense pain in their side and saw Emma beside them, striking down a foe.

They grasped the wound and felt blood. And then it was gone, leaving behind a simple tingling sensation and a stain. Rush looked over and saw Pagus coming towards them; the last of the enemies on the ground.

"Rush, my child! Are you alright? Did the spell manage to close up your wound properly? Let me see!" Pagus exclaimed, frantic.

'Oh. That's what happened.' Rush thought, the pieces clinking into place as they let Pagus examine their side. 

Emma sighed as she put her swords away. "Unfortunately, it seems Irina wasn't here either. We should head back to the castle and let the others know what happened." She said; disappointed.

_____

"We need to get you some proper armour, Rush." Emma said and broke Rush out of their musings. It was nighttime, and Pagus had already retired to his tent. Emma was idly stoking the fire in front of them.

Rush blinked a few times, then said, "Oh, yeah. That makes sense." While the wound they had received was healed by now -thanks to Pagus' skills in both healing and medicine- the next one they obtained could prove fatal.

Emma stared at Rush for a while, then asked, "How-how are you faring? I understand you and your sister were quite close." While she was trying her best, they could tell she was unsure of how she was phrasing things.

"Uh, it's hard, I guess? Me 'n Irina always had each other, so it's been weird adjusting to being alone." Rush replied honestly.

With this, Emma's eyes softened. "You're never alone Rush."

_____

Night was always a bit odd for David. He would find himself longing; for what, he did not know. But as he stood on the balcony smoking his pipe, his thoughts drifted back to the day out he had with Rush.

It was... remarkably easy for him to be himself around them. They had a presence that made Dave feel comfortable, even safe. He had a feeling that he could trust Rush. Although as the Marquis of Athlum, he knew to take those kinds of things with a grain of salt.

With the last of the herbs in his pipe turned to ash, David dumped it out on the tray next to him and turned to go to bed. The moon glowed ever brighter in his absence; an omen for the days to come.


End file.
